[697] in sapr3-soft
Re: SAP and external system interfaces...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (cbbrowne@hex.net (by way of SAP Mo)
Thu Dec 18 17:07:39 1997
To: sapr3-soft@MIT.EDU
Date: 18 Dec 1997 10:46:37 -0600
From: cbbrowne@hex.net (by way of SAP Moderator <cbbrowne@hex.net>)
>Could a VB front end be developed that contains OLE calls to the SAP
client object or applications server objects?
Be aware that a significant portion of configuration data resides in
"pool" tables which, unlike "transparent" tables, are not usefully
visible outside the R/3 system.
Also be aware that queries are generally the drastic killers of
performance. It is not uncommon for SAP to recommend doing "EIS"
(Executive Information System)-like work on a separate database instance
so that performance is not radically harmed for the interactive users.
In effect, this would mean mirroring the database to another database
server, and doing queries *there.* (Note that this isn't just an R/3
issue; it's true for many RDBMS-based systems. "Data Warehousing" is
another name for this sort of thing.)
I have minimal knowledge of what Microsoft-based tools may prove usable;
I generally find that their tools *aren't* very usable, but milage
obviously varies. No doubt something could be written to interface to
RFCs; the robustness and speed of OLE and its interface to R/3 (or lack
thereof) will likely determine the feasibility of the approach.
R/3 is quite "buzzword-compliant," which should *not* be interpreted to
mean that using buzzworded protocols in the fashions that their
designers intended in conjunction with an R/3 system is a wise idea.
It is entirely possible that "OLE support" has been added so that
managers that want to "cover their behinds" by ticking off a box saying
"OLE support" can do so. Whether the "OLE support" is actually something
that you'd want to have your business depend on is a whole other
question.
(Other useful questions would be: Which OLE? The one that used to be
available; the one now available; the thing that probably won't be
called OLE that Microsoft will probably start promoting in another year
or so when they conclude that in 1998 they want to be seen to "believe"
in XML...)
Cognos was, a couple of years ago, pushing their "Impromptu" tool as the
answer to external reporting needs. You might look into that.
--
"Bother," said Pooh, "Eeyore, ready two photon torpedoes and lock
phasers on the Heffalump, Piglet, meet me in transporter room three"
cbbrowne@hex.net - "What have you contributed to Linux today?..."
<http://www.hex.net/~cbbrowne/lsf.html>
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